Steve Kerr is expected to meet with owner Joe Lacob, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., and other high-ranking executives by the end of the week to determine whether he will stay with the Warriors, league sources told ClutchPoints More on Kerr’s future https://t.co/PAEFloxonb— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 21, 2026

BREAKING: Billy Donovan has stepped down as head coach of the Bulls after 6 seasons, per @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/Qef99jsDLY— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 21, 2026

MONDAY'S FINAL SCORES James Harden shines on both ends as the @cavs take a 2-0 series lead in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs presented by @Google!Donovan Mitchell: 30 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 4 3PMEvan Mobley: 25 PTS, 8 REBGame 3: Thursday, 8pm/et on Prime pic.twitter.com/z8C9u5000s— NBA (@NBA) April 21, 2026

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Welcome to this week’s Lakers newsletter, where we’re playing chess, not checkers.

The intensity has picked up now that the playoffs have started. The Lakers won Game 1 against the Houston Rockets and now the fun begins. Coaches tinker with their game plans trying to capitalize on every perceived advantage. Players are locked in intense multi-game matchups. For a self-proclaimed basketball sicko such as JJ Redick, it’s almost basketball nirvana.

“Every day I wake up, I’m excited to go to work,” Redick said. “Every day feels exciting.”

Playoff DA

Days before the game, on the day of the game and the day after the Lakers’ playoff opener, Redick fielded different versions of the same question.

How influential will Deandre Ayton be in these playoffs?

“The ceiling for our team is maximized when he’s playing at a high level,” Redick said Monday, one day after Ayton’s 19-point, 11-rebound double-double highlighted the Lakers’ Game 1 win. “I remember saying that three times already in the last week. I don’t know how else to answer that.”

Facing consistent scrutiny as the Lakers’ biggest X factor, Ayton now needs to deliver consistent performances in the playoffs. Just one impressive performance won’t be enough to silence critics.

Ayton sent a solid statement in Game 1. In addition to shooting 80% from the field, Ayton helped hold Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun to 19 points on six-of-19 shooting. The Lakers’ defense, anchored by Ayton on the back line, smothered Houston. Playing without Kevin Durant, who was a late scratch with a right knee contusion, the Rockets shot just 37.6% from the field.

“I really tried my best to show [Redick] that I’m here and I’m ready throughout those practices just being super and extremely consistent,” Ayton said after the Lakers’ playoff opening win Saturday. “I couldn’t wait to just beat up on somebody else in the first game.”

In front of a buzzing Crypto.com Arena crowd, Ayton made his presence felt early. He scored the Lakers’ first points with a turnaround floater in the lane. He caught two two lobs for dunks. The Lakers’ crowd erupted each time.

Ayton, after two lost years in Portland, hadn’t experienced that thrill in too long.

“It got my blood boiling a little bit,” Ayton said of not playing in the postseason since 2023.

Ayton’s career was fading in Portland. He became known more for inconsistent play and lagging energy than his soft shooting touch or defensive prowess. He looked at the two-year, $16.6-million contract with a player option from the Lakers as a lifeline. It felt like the last chance for him to prove he could still be that player who started for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals.

Ayton averaged 14.7 points, 12 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 53.1% shooting in the 2021 Finals series against the Milwuakee Bucks. When speaking of Lakers players with playoff experience, LeBron James always leads the conversation, but Redick, conscious of Ayton’s importance to this team, never leaves out Ayton’s playoff past.

There is still a reason why Ayton was the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, center Jaxson Hayes said.

“When it comes to this serious time of year, like playoffs, he already knows,” Hayes said. “He’s been there, and so he knows what to do. He just came locked in. And I loved it. It was awesome.”

The Lakers were 22-3 in the regular season when Ayton took 10 or more shot attempts and 15-1 in games when he had 11 or rebounds. The trend continued in the playoffs when Ayton made eight of 10 shots in Game 1. He grabbed his 11th rebound in the final seconds.

Ayton’s dominance allowed Hayes to “take a chill day,” the backup center joked. But both big men aren’t resting on one successful game.

“We’re not gonna sit here and take this for granted,” Ayton said. “We have to take care of home court, and that’s our job.”

Gang’s all here

Each seat in Crypto.com Arena for Game 1 was carefully decorated with a yellow T-shirt featuring every Lakers player and Redick. Each photo, a little black-and-white headshot, was the same size arranged in a grid, symbolizing unity from everyone on the Lakers’ bench. On the free T-shirt and in real life, the Lakers brought the entire band together just in time for the playoffs as Luka Doncic reunited with the team Saturday.

The superstar guard is still out indefinitely while rehabbing a Grade 2 hamstring strain, but his presence on the bench at least offered a timely morale boost.

“I think people don’t know how much impact Luka has, not only on the court, but off the court,” forward Rui Hachimura said. “He’s a guy that always wants to be around with us. We love him just being around, just hanging out, talking. So, yeah, we’re happy that he’s back finally and he’s doing funny things always.”

While continuing treatment for his injury, Doncic’s role at practice was limited to rebounding and passing the ball in shooting drills. He and Reaves helped distract teammates during free-throw shooting drills at the end of practice Monday and engaged in a quick game of rock-paper-scissors while Jarred Vanderbilt was at the free-throw line. After their shared agent Bill Duffy helped Hayes get a Slovenian passport to potentially play internationally together, Doncic has been calling the 7-foot center from Cincinnati “my Slovenian brother.”

Doncic adds his joyful energy to a typically tense time. Maintaining that balance of lightness and focus has been key for the Lakers all season. Like how Redick often describes when Doncic is at his best, the Lakers look their best when they’re having fun too.

In the final seconds of Saturday’s Game 1, when the Lakers were dribbling out the clock, Hachimura was standing dutifully in the corner in front of the Lakers’ bench with his hands up ready for a pass. Doncic playfully smacked his teammate on the head several times.

Hachimura had no recollection of the moment. That’s just life with Doncic.

“I’m used to it,” Hachimura said.

On tap

Tuesday vs. Rockets, 7:30 p.m.

The Lakers have a chance to go up 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time since the 2020 NBA Finals.

Friday at Rockets, 5 p.m. PDT

The Lakers have lost nine consecutive road playoff games. The last postseason win on the road came in Game 1 of the second round in 2023 against Golden State. The Lakers won that series in six and advanced to the Western Conference finals.

Sunday at Rockets, 6:30 p.m. PDT

Maybe the Lakers are going for the sweep Sunday. If not, they will at least get two days’ rest before Game 5 back in L.A.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Lakers look to protect homecourt in Game 2 against the Rockets on Tuesday.

Just when it looked like the Lakers needed a miracle to win Game 1, there was a sudden plot twist moments before tip-off that Kevin Durant was ruled out as well. The matchup instantly became more favorable for the purple and gold and, boy, did they make the most out of it in the best way possible.

Shoutout to Luke Kennard for having himself a career night, to LeBron James for taking control of the game with his IQ and the rest of the team for doing what they’ve done for the most part of the season: rise to the occasion.

Game 1 didn’t go perfectly for the Lakers by any means, but they played well enough to earn the victory. Now, the next challenge is to win Game 2, which will be even harder. Durant’s health remains the biggest storyline but with or without the all-time great, Los Angeles will have to be ready for Houston’s response.

How will Houston respond?

What was ironic about Game 1 was that even as the Rockets won the rebounding battle (44-35) by a substantial margin, scored more points in transition (11-4) and finished with more possessions through second-chance opportunities, they still lost. A huge reason for this is that no one from their team scored more than 20 points and without KD, they lacked offensive firepower.

Expect that to change in Game 2. The likes of Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith — who shot a combined 11-34 — will definitely want to bounce back. The same goes with Alperen Sengun, who will likely be more aggressive and look for his shots. The Rockets will most likely tighten their defensive coverage on Kennard and will limit James’ playmaking and scoring abilities. This is the perfect opportunity to test how quickly head coach JJ Redick and the Lakers respond to the Rockets’ adjustments.

Can L.A. continue to beat the Rockets on offense?

Going into this series, the Lakers had the offensive advantage and they showed that in Game 1 even without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Besides Kennard’s spectacular 27-point night, L.A. shot 53.6% from downtown and five players were in double figures.

Talk about contributions across the board.

The purple and gold clearly also played with more effort and focus. They had an answer to every single one of Houston’s runs and found ways to overwhelm them on offense. It’s tough to ask Kennard to score 27 points again, but it’s fair to expect Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and co. to continue playing well. The Lakers’ best shot at beating the Rockets is still through their offense.

There are still so many variables that can impact this series: Luka, Austin and KD’s health, for example. But with all the uncertainty both teams are dealing with, it becomes a series about which team can control what they can and the cards they’re being dealt.

Can the Lakers carry over their success from Game 1? Will the Rockets bounce back? We’ll find out on Tuesday.

Notes and Updates

The Lakers’ injury report remains as it is with Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (left oblique muscle strain) out.

As for the Rockets, Steven Adams (left ankle surgery) and Fred VanVleet (ACL surgery) are out while Kevin Durant (right knee contusion) is questionable.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

As it often does in the playoffs, one game can flip the script.

After a stretch of bad injury news, the Lakers caught a break with Kevin Durant being a late scratch for Game 1, and they took full advantage, thoroughly outplaying the Rockets. What looked like a steep uphill battle suddenly shifted.

Now, with a 1–0 lead, the pressure doubles down on Houston. A team that entered the series as the favorite now faces a must-win Game 2 in Los Angeles to avoid falling into a 2–0 hole.

The more experienced Lakers looked ready, the better-prepared team with a clear plan in Game 1. The young Rockets, without their veteran primary option and led by a 21-year-old point guard playing his first extended playoff minutes, showed their age.

Will Ime Udoka and his young team adjust? Is the Lakers’ shooting sustainable, or just a Game 1 outlier? And did that opener reveal even more cracks for JJ Redick and LeBron James to exploit? Let’s dig in.

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Today’s highlights:

The key question: Kevin Durant’s status

First look at rotations and potential Game 2 tweaks

Potential Lakers adjustments (VIDEO)

Potential Rockets adjustments (VIDEO)

1-The key question: Kevin Durant’s status

We can talk about any tactical adjustments, but the best one for the Rockets is simple: add their best player to the lineup. Durant is still dealing with a deep patellar tendon bruise in his right knee and will be a game-time decision for Game 2. Udoka highlighted that Durant’s knee injury is not just about pain tolerance, but also affects his movement and mobility, something to watch even if he’s ready to go in Game 2.

Kevin Durant participated in about half of today’s practice.

Ime Udoka tells me Durant’s status will be a game time decision.

In my Game 1 observations, I explained why Durant is so crucial, not only as the Rockets’ only proven shotmaker, but even more so to their formula of dominating with size and length.

In the first matchup, Sheppard, Okogie, Holiday, and Tate, players 6’4 or shorter, logged almost 83 minutes combined, accounting for more than one-third of the total available minutes. With Durant back and an increase in Eason’s minutes (more on that below), Udoka could replace more than half of those minutes and get back to the model that makes Houston unique, playing most of the game with lineups featuring players 6’7 or taller. Durant’s presence also allows Udoka to cut down the minutes with both of the Rockets’ key defensive liabilities, Sheppard and Sengun, on the floor.

2-First look at rotations and potential Game 2 tweaks

Durant’s potential return could, of course, have the biggest cascading effect on the Rockets’ rotation. But what else did we learn from Game 1?

As predicted in my series preview, Redick and Udoka are two coaches who rely on short rotations and heavy minutes for their key players, and, even in Game 1, both stuck to those principles. Both teams played four of their starters more than 35 minutes. Thompson and Smith Jr. both logged 43, while Hachimura played 42 for the Lakers. None of the Lakers’ bench players reached 20 minutes, with ninth man Bronny James playing fewer than four. Redick staggered his three ball-handlers, LeBron, Smart, and Kennard, with the latter two playing together when James was on the bench.

There was a clear drop-off in the level of play between the starters and the bench, for example, Smart vs. LaRavia defending Sheppard, or Ayton vs. Hayes, making it hard to be too critical of the Lakers’ heavy minutes for their starters. But while that experience could be a crucial early advantage, the heavy load could once again become their downfall against a younger Rockets core if the series extends to six or seven games.

For the Rockets, apart from the potential boost of adding Durant, the most obvious tweak would be starting Eason in place of Okogie in Game 2. Eason was a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor, and while that is more of an outlier, his three offensive and ten total rebounds are not. With his length, he is a much more impactful defender than Okogie, especially as a primary option to guard LeBron.

3-Potential Lakers adjustments (VIDEO)

More actions involving both Sheppard and Sengun (or Capela): The Lakers were much more deliberate in exposing the opponent’s weak links in Game 1. From the opening possession, the focus was on attacking Sheppard, whether through Smart, who was excellent at driving and creating paint pressure, or LeBron, who punished Sheppard’s reluctance to switch onto him. Kennard also did a great job targeting Sengun’s foot speed, punishing his drop coverage with deadly pull-ups. The Lakers could lean even more into actions targeting both of the Rockets’ worst defenders, especially if Durant remains out, because those possessions consistently produced good results.

Even more discipline: The Lakers were the more composed team and, unlike the Rockets, looked like a team with a clear plan for most of the game, they still have a few short stretches to clean up. They had a rough end to the first half, committing five of their 20 turnovers in the final four minutes. Most came in transition, trying to play too fast, a rare stretch where they strayed from their game plan of making the game a methodical half-court grind. In general, the Lakers need to limit their turnovers. They probably won’t survive another game with 20, losing the possession battle as decisively as they did in Game 1, when the Rockets dominated both offensive rebounding and turnovers, resulting in 19 more scoring chances. The other part that falls into the discipline category is fouling. Hayes looked like the player who fell out of the playoff rotation last season, biting on several of Sengun’s fakes and committing unnecessary fouls. That was a shame, because he was actually very effective contesting Sengun’s shots otherwise. Lack of discipline and excessive fouling is also Vanderbilt’s issue, as he committed five fouls in 18 minutes.

Make Rockets role players decision-makers, passers and shooters: Lack of playmaking and passing, along with inconsistent shooting, is Houston’s biggest weakness. Their top three creators, Durant, Sengun, and Sheppard, are not elite decision-makers, and their supporting cast is even more limited in that regard.

Okogie, Eason, Smith Jr., and Holiday rank near the bottom for their positions in assist rate and assist-to-usage ratio, and we saw a few possessions in Game 1 where the Lakers forced them to put the ball on the floor and make decisions on the fly.

This is also why the Lakers should continue trapping Sengun when he receives the ball on the block and stick to their strategy of blitzing Durant if he returns. I’m also sure the Lakers will keep daring Houston to beat them from the outside after a 14-of-43 showing in Game 1. The more the Rockets miss, the more the Lakers will pack the paint and make finishes difficult, as Houston shot just 21-of-50 in the paint.

More LeBron bully ball: LeBron scored only 19 points in Game 1, but was in control for most of the game nonetheless. After acting as a facilitator in the first half, the Lakers went to him more on the block in the second, where he managed to bully even the Rockets’ best defenders. If Udoka sticks with Okogie as the primary matchup, or even other longer but lighter defenders, going to James in the post to score or draw double teams will likely be the Lakers’ go-to move when things get tight.

4-Potential Rockets adjustments (VIDEO)

Swap Eason and Okogie roles: I mentioned this one as the most obvious. Starting Eason would provide more size and length against LeBron. If you couple that with a potential Durant return, and we could see Udoka go super big with Sengun, Durant, Smith Jr., Eason, and Thompson, or lean into his best defensive, switch-everything lineup with Okogie in place of Sengun.

More aggressive ball pressure: Expect the Rockets to be much more aggressive on the ball, picking up full court with Thompson, Eason, and Okogie. Thompson learned the hard way, at times underestimating Kennard and getting burned by being late or going under screens, and will want to make a statement in Game 2.

Better process on offense: The Rockets’ offensive process fluctuated between bad and non-existent in Game 1. It mostly consisted of Sheppard pick-and-rolls and Sengun isolations, with the Lakers, as mentioned, smartly and selectively sending traps at Sengun. One of my key questions heading into this series was how the Lakers could survive with Kennard playing extensive minutes. He answered that in Game 1, scoring a game-high 27 points, while the Rockets rarely challenged him on the other end. The Lakers hid Kennard by having him defend either Okogie or Eason, and with Eason the more potent driver, that is another argument for an Okogie-Eason role swap. The Rockets don’t have a manipulator of LeBron’s stature to hunt Kennard, but that doesn’t mean avoiding him in pick-and-roll actions should be their strategy. Kennard was involved in the fewest pick-and-rolls as the screener defender among Lakers starters.

Here are a couple of rare possessions where they did, and especially Thompson attacking downhill against Kennard is a situation the Lakers will want to avoid.

The main threat for the Lakers will continue to be the Rockets’ dominance on the offensive glass. Despite that being a clear priority, Houston posted a 42% offensive rebound rate in Game 1 and topped that mark in two of the other three matchups this season.

For comparison, the league average offensive rebound rate was 29%, while the Rockets led the NBA at 37%. If Durant returns and the Rockets add even more size, the Lakers may struggle to overcome the possession deficit. They did that in Game 1 with incredible shot-making, posting a 68.2% effective field goal percentage, well above their 57.6% season average. That hot shooting shows up in their qSI, which hit a season-high 19.6 per Genius Sports tracking data, meaning they shot nearly 20 percentage points above expected efficiency based on shot quality. It’s a strong indicator that this was driven more by shot-making than the quality of looks, something that’s typically hard to sustain.

With everything that happened at the end of the season, the Lakers needed a break, and they got one in Game 1. If Durant doesn’t return, or is limited, they have to take advantage and land another blow. And even if he’s fully back, all the Lakers need is one win in the next three games to push the series to Game 6, nearly a full month since Dončić and Reaves’ injuries, which was the primary goal entering this series.

Hi DJ! I have been wanting to thank you for keeping me patient and hopeful when Luka and Reaves went down at the end of the season. I thought we would never win another game. I completely gave up on the season. Here we are, the boys are proving me wrong. They are playing above expectations. I owe you everything right now. What a breath of fresh air!
Thank you, DJ.

The Rockets don’t have a timeframe for when Kevin Durant will return to play this series, per @ShamsCharania.They are optimistic that it’ll be Game 2, but it remains to be seen. 😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/1GHy3AjDZW— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) April 20, 2026